11 Best Songs to Listen to in October
New music from Demi Lovato, Chance the Rapper, and St. Vincent.
Beyoncé provided vocals for a remix of J Balvin and Willy William's "Mi Gente" and announced on her Instagram that she'd be donating the proceeds to hurricane relief charities. That's just one reason to listen to this low-key banger, which features Bey singing in both Spanish and English, plus the line "I be giving birth on these haters / 'Cause I'm fertile." YOW.
J Balvin, Willy William, ft. Beyoncé, "Mi Gente", Amazon
If anyone's ever described you as having a heart of stone, I've got a cure for you. Courtney Barnett and Kurt Vile, grungey singer-guitarists who have individually made their names with wistful-but-wise observational tunes, paired up for collaborative album Lotta Sea Lice, out on October 13. Their signature meandering styles are as natural a fit as apples in fall, and equally as comforting. Try "Continental Breakfast," which celebrates tiny pleasures, and loved ones far and near.
Courtney Barnett and Kurt Vile, Lotta Sea Lice, Amazon
The colorblocked, latex-heavy world of St. Vincent, a.k.a. Annie Clark, is a weird and wonderful place. Celebrity-watchers will no doubt trawl the lyrics on her fifth album Masseduction (out on October 13) for references to famous exes like Cara Delevingne. Synth-heavy single "Los Ageless" is nominally a thumb-nosed tribute to Tinseltown, but it could equally be a paean to a love, lost or otherwise: "How could anybody have you and lose you / And not lose their minds too?"
St. Vincent, Masseduction, Amazon
You probably text the three little characters "LMK" several times a day, and in the breakout single from Kelela's Take Me Apart (out on October 6), she reminds a hesitating lover that it's really NBD. The singer, who combines the sinuous ease of R&B and the grunt of club electronica, will please fans who've been waiting for her debut album since the dreamily sexy single "Bank Head" dropped in 2013.
Kelela, Take Me Apart, Amazon
The only problem with this song is that it isn't about me. Or you. (Really, really hoping it is about Nick Jonas.) This sultry little tease from Demi Lovato's Tell Me You Love Me is definitely fun in that trusty blind-item romance way. With Lovato's airy vocals and a coy horn section, "Ruin the Friendship" takes the prize for sneaky love song of the month.
Demi Lovato, Tell Me You Love Me, Amazon
If NPR is comparing you to Joni Mitchell, you know you're onto a good thing. Canadian folk band The Weather Station can put that compliment in their pocket; with a self-titled album out on October 6, many more will soon be making their own judgments. They might decide that singer Tamara Lindeman's casually expressive talk-singing does recall Mitchell's understated style, or they might think that it's like nothing else they've heard before. Try fall jaunt "Kept It to Myself" on for size and draw your own conclusions.
The Weather Station, The Weather Station, iTunes
Trust Chance to come up with something unexpected - like a late-night debut of a song that doesn't even have a title yet. Title or no, the contemplative track casts light on a simpler past and critiques a complacent society sitting by as tragedy mounts: "Y'all just keep clapping...Like Flint got clean water / And y'all don't got teen daughters and black friends and gay cousins / Y'all gonna say nothing?"
Ten years ago, Canadian twins Tegan and Sara released The Con. To mark this special anniversary, the duo asked some of their favorite musicians to cover the songs for a redux: The Con X: Covers (October 20). A shimmering, ethereal version of "Call It Off" by Glasgow synth-pop darlings Chvrches is just one of the new takes; the likes of Ryan Adams and Muna also hopped on board for the commemorative project.
Tegan and Sara, The Con: X, Amazon
"My thighs are too big / My head isn't small," laments Weaves' Jasmyn Burke. It's enough to make her want to "Scream" on this track from the Canadian art-rock band's forthcoming Wide Open (October 6). Burke gets a vocal assist from Canadian throat singer Tanya Tagaq, and it makes for a cathartic, layered combination. Burke's creative energies aren't limited to the music world; in conjunction with Weaves' album launch, she is also launching a lipstick line for "the tomboys, shy weirdos, non-binary people, and people of color who sometimes feel invisible in the mainstream."
Weaves, Wide Open, Amazon
If you're still sad about saying goodbye to the summer, let indie crooner Julien Baker provide the soundtrack. The melancholy "Appointments" feels loaded with regret, and the resonant strength of Baker's voice has already turned this Southern 22-year-old into many critics' new favorite. Stay tuned for more in her sophomore album, Turn Out the Lights, which comes out on October 27.
Julien Baker, Turn Out the Lights, Amazon
In their first studio album since the whole Once Upon a Time in Shaolin shemozzle (remember, there was just one copy and Martin Shkreli got involved with a staggering $2 million bid?). Expect shoutouts to Christian Bale, Patrick Swayze, and John Gotti, and the group's signature samples of kung-fu sound effects. And don't forget to check out the video: Is there a $2 million album in that mysterious locked box? Get your hands on Wu-Tang: The Saga Continues on October 13.
Wu-Tang Clan, Wu-Tang: The Saga Continues, Amazon
Listen to our selections below:
<span id="selection-marker-1" class="redactor-selection-marker"></span>New music from Demi Lovato, Chance the Rapper, and St. Vincent.
New music from Demi Lovato, Chance the Rapper, and St. Vincent.
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